The musical duo Angels + Kings released their breakthrough single “Lightning,” and it is quite inspirational. Angels + Kings is comprised of Carlos PenaVega of Big Time Rush and Alex Marshall of The Cab. They have joined forces and created this new musical venture. As Angels + Kings, Carlos and Alex hope to fuse their unique backgrounds, musical influences, life passions, in order to create a fresh sound that is a blend of pop, rock, indie, adult contemporary, and even contemporary inspirational music. The lyrics of “Lightning” are pure poetry and they are timely and relevant, especially with the current state of the world. The song ought to be enjoyed for its beauty, honesty, and simplicity. “Lightning” truly captures the complex journey and essence of what it means to be human. “What a blessing it is to create music we love and share it with the world. We couldn’t do this without the unwavering support from our family, friends, and all of you—your encouragement means everything. This new chapter with ‘Lightning’ is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us. Thank you for being with us on this journey,” both artists expressed via a joint post on social media . Both artists collaborated together for the original music of “Get Him Back for Christmas,” which is Carlos’ new holiday movie for Great American Family with his wife Alexa, which will premiere on December 14th. Angels + Kings affords both artists a creative platform where they can explore and foster new musical horizons while honoring their shared passion for faith, family, and community. Carlos PenaVega remarked, “Collaborating on ‘Get Him Back for Christmas’ was an amazing experience, and it quickly became clear that we had something special together.” “Alex and I decided to lean into that captivating energy and create Angels + Kings, a true musical partnership both personally and professionally,” PenaVega acknowledged. “Lightning” is available on digital service providers by clicking here . It garners two giant thumbs up. It is evident that Carlos PenaVega and Alex Marshll are a match made in musical heaven as Angels + Kings . They deserve to be the next Maverick City in music. Hopefully, this is a harbinger of more quality music to come from Angels + Kings in the near future. Angels + Kings are poised for stardom in their own right as a duo. Markos Papadatos is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for Music News.Papadatos is a Greek-American journalist and educator that has authored over 21,000 original articles over the past 18 years. He has interviewed some of the biggest names in music, entertainment, lifestyle, magic, and sports. He is a 16-time "Best of Long Island" winner, where for three consecutive years (2020, 2021, and 2022), he was honored as the "Best Long Island Personality" in Arts & Entertainment, an honor that has gone to Billy Joel six times.Philly films make it to the National Film Registry for 2024None
Gurugram, Dec 22 (PTI) Gurugram Cyber Police has arrested a man from Tamil Nadu for running an illegal SIM card racket, officials said on Sunday. The accused, Mohammad Jamil bin Mohammed Iqbal, a resident of Kuala Lumpur, used to buy SIM cards from India and sell them in Malaysia, which cyber fraudsters used to cheat people in this country while sitting abroad, police said. Police have recovered a Malaysian passport, an international driving licence, one health card, one debit card, one mobile phone, and Indian and foreign currency notes from the possession of Iqbal, who was arrested from Trichy in Tamil Nadu on Saturday. Iqbal, who arrived in India on Thursday, took more than 150 SIM cards to Malaysia on two occasions, police said. Two persons who arranged SIM cards for the accused were caught in August along with two others for their alleged involvement in duping a Gurugram resident of Rs 2.81 crore in the name of investment in stock markets. During interrogation, the accused disclosed the name of Iqbal, which prompted the cyber police to issue a look out circular in his name. As soon as he landed in Trichy on Thursday, the airport police caught Iqbal and informed Gurugram Police who took him into custody on Saturday. “Iqbal’s mother was from Tamil Nadu. He also got married to a woman from the state and was well-versed in Tamil. Iqbal, who came to India with another Malaysian accomplice, came in contact with a gang of cyber thugs in February. We are presently questioning the accused,” Priyanshu Dewan, Assistant Commissioner of Police (cyber wing), said. PTI COR ARI This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content. var ytflag = 0;var myListener = function() {document.removeEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);lazyloadmyframes();};document.addEventListener('mousemove', myListener, false);window.addEventListener('scroll', function() {if (ytflag == 0) {lazyloadmyframes();ytflag = 1;}});function lazyloadmyframes() {var ytv = document.getElementsByClassName("klazyiframe");for (var i = 0; i < ytv.length; i++) {ytv[i].src = ytv[i].getAttribute('data-src');}} Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );
Remember when Facebook was just a useful website that helped you stay in touch with your friends? And Google did more than serve you half a page of ads? And Twitter ― well, let’s not go there. There’s a word for this decline: enshittification. The term, made famous by the tech critic Cory Doctorow in 2023, was just selected by Macquarie Dictionary ― Australia’s oldest! ― as its 2024 word of the year . Here’s how they defined it: noun Colloquial: the gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking. The Macquarie committee politely described the phrase as “a very basic Anglo-Saxon term wrapped in affixes which elevate it to being almost formal; almost respectable.” As Doctorow described it in 2023 , enshittification is about more than the outcome. It’s a deliberate business strategy in which everyone loses except the platform and its shareholders (at least in the short term). First, says Doctorow, a digital service gains a foothold by making itself useful to its users. Having locked them in, the platform leverages those users to appeal to businesses. Then, in its third and final step, the platform abuses both businesses and customers to extract all the value for itself. “We’re all living through the enshittocene, a great enshittening, in which the services that matter to us, that we rely on, are turning into giant piles of shit,” Doctorow remarked in a 2024 lecture after the word went viral. “Today’s giants are not constrained by competition,” he added. “They don’t care. They don’t have to. They’re Google .” Indeed, countless tech giants can be said to fit the mold: Meta ( Facebook , Instagram, etc.), Alphabet (Google), Uber , Amazon , TikTok, Twitter (now known as X). Doctorow predicts that AI-driven search and chatbots will inevitably meet the same fate. Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone. Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you. Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all. You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you. Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all. Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages. Macquarie Dictionary’s selection marks the second time “enshittification” has earned a spot atop the dictionary hall of fame. The American Dialect Society selected it as the word of the year in 2023. Other words the Macquarie committee considered include “brainrot” (social media content that’s of such low quality it leads to diminished mental function); “overtourism” (the degradation of a tourist destination caused by too many tourists); and “right to disconnect” (a law guaranteeing the right to not be contacted about work during non-work hours). Related From Our PartnerThe reserves – known as security stocks – are usually earmarked for Irish customers but are now being used to ease pressure on publicans in the UK who have struggled to keep up with new fans after a marketing push in recent years. Some pub landlords have reportedly been using ration cards to ensure every customer gets a fair share of the stout. Diageo , which owns Guinness, has also put shipments bound for North America on standby for potential diversion to the UK in case the security stocks fail to fill the gap, according to the Sunday Times, which first reported the reserves raid. A spokesperson for Diageo thanked customers for their patience and said demand remained at “unprecedented levels”. “We are producing more Guinness today than we ever have in our 265-year history, and we continue to work closely with customers across our network to manage Guinness distribution as efficiently as possible, ensuring we maximise supply and minimise disruptions for pubs and retailers,” the spokesperson said. [ London pubs turn to ration cards amid Guinness shortage Opens in new window ] Diageo said it was buying time before it could roll out a “phased replenishment” in the new year that would help UK Guinness supplies return to normal. The early 2025 restock is part of efforts to avoid an even more acute shortage, with the company anticipating a fresh rush for Guinness as sport fans gear up for the Six Nations rugby championship, which kicks off on January 31st. Guinness has notably gained traction among women and young people, including gen Z, having traditionally been the favoured drink of older men and rugby teams. It follows a marketing push over the past few years that has involved working with influencers on social media to raise Guinness’s profile. Celebrities have also fuelled the trend, with Kim Kardashian making headlines last year when she supped on a pint in a London pub. The singer Olivia Rodrigo made waves when she wore a “Guinness is good 4U” T-shirt when performing in Dublin this year. The drink’s growing popularity has also been fuelled by trends such as “splitting the G”, a drinking game in which players try to get the line between the foam and stout to sit in the middle of the letter G on the Guinness pub glass after their first sip. There has been some speculation that the shortage is merely part of a wider marketing stunt, though insiders have said the supply concerns are genuine. Earlier this month, Diageo was said to be unable to increase supply from its Dublin brewery, which was already working at full capacity. It is hoped the shortage will be temporary, given Diageo has been pumping money into its St James’s Gate brewery in the Irish capital and is also building a new €200 million brewery in County Kildare. - GuardianNCAA chief pushes Congress to ban prop bets on college sports6 Easy Ways To Make Your Smart Home More Secure
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LONDON: Erling Haaland had a second-half penalty saved as crisis-torn Manchester City failed to end their dismal run with a 1-1 draw against lowly Everton, while title contenders Chelsea suffered a first home defeat against Fulham since 1979 on Thursday. Champions City have just one victory in their last 13 games in all competitions as their Christmas schedule started in disappointing fashion. Bernardo Silva put City in front early on before Iliman Ndiaye salvaged a point for Everton. City are languishing in seventh place and sit five points adrift of the top four, with their astonishing decline showing no sign of ending. City boss Pep Guardiola conceded ahead of the game that his troubled side are at risk of failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 15 years and their latest setback was another blow to that target. “Of course we need results and we didn’t get it. The team played really good again in all departments and unfortunately could not win,” Guardiola said. “We accept it. It is life. We did not expect it to not win games many times. But what do you have to do? Continue.” Everton had kept five clean sheets in their last six games but were breached after just 14 minutes. Jeremy Doku fed Silva and his effort across goal deflected off Jarrad Branthwaite and looped beyond the helpless Jordan Pickford. Everton levelled when Manuel Akanji sliced an attempted clearance into the path of Ndiaye, who fired into the top corner for Everton’s first away goal in over two months. Seven minutes into the second half, Haaland had the chance to end his longest goal drought at the Etihad but Pickford dived low to his right to make the save. At Stamford Bridge, second-placed Chelsea were stunned by Fulham’s late fightback for a 2-1 win in a dramatic west London derby. Cole Palmer put Chelsea ahead after 16 minutes, the England forward drilling home from the edge of the area after weaving through the Fulham defence in dazzling style. Forest on the rise But Fulham levelled with eight minutes left when Antonee Robinson’s cross was headed down by Timothy Castagne and Harry Wilson nodded in from close range. Chelsea were furious, claiming Alex Iwobi had fouled Pedro Neto in the build-up to the goal. But there was worse to come for the Blues in stoppage-time when Rodrigo Muniz converted Sasa Lukic’s pass with a clinical strike. Chelsea are four points behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand and host Leicester later on Thursday. Nottingham Forest climbed to third place after a 1-0 win against spluttering Tottenham at the City Ground. Forest went ahead in the 28th minute when Anthony Elanga raced onto Morgan Gibbs-White’s pass and stroke a composed finish past Fraser Forster. Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo had just 17 games in charge of Tottenham before being sacked in 2021. But Forest’s fourth successive win was sweet revenge for Nuno, whose former club had Djed Spence sent off in the closing moments for a second booking. Tottenham are stuck in 11th place as the pressure mounts on boss Ange Postecoglou. Newcastle swatted aside 10-man Aston Villa 3-0, moving up to fifth place after winning three consecutive league games for the first time since 2023. Anthony Gordon struck with a superb curling strike after just two minutes at St James’ Park. Villa’s Jhon Duran was sent off in the 32nd minute for violent conduct after stamping on Newcastle’s Fabian Schar. Alexander Isak made Newcastle’s numerical advantage count in the 59th minute as the Swedish striker tapped in his seventh goal in his last six appearances. Joelinton wrapped up the points in stoppage-time with a curler from 18 yards. Jarrod Bowen’s 59th-minute goal gave West Ham a 1-0 win at bottom of the table Southampton after the visitors saw Guido Rodriguez’s red card overturned by VAR. It was a frustrating start for new Saints boss Ivan Juric, who has replaced the sacked Russell Martin. Bournemouth and Crystal Palace shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium. — AFPThe Government’s social housing agency has backed out of a billion-dollar infrastructure alliance that would have built about 6000 new homes in Auckland – less than 18 months after signing a five-year extension. Labour says the decision to rip up the contract and sell off existing state houses could lead to a rise in homelessness, with little indication the coalition will do anything to fill the void. The Land Enablement and Delivery (LEAD) Alliance, formerly known as Piritahi, was formed in 2018 as a partnership between Kāinga Ora and five civil engineering companies – Dempsey Wood, Harrison Grierson, Hick Bros Group, Tonkin + Taylor, and Woods – to deliver infrastructure required for the agency’s large-scale urban development projects on Crown land in Auckland. The alliance was initially set up to deliver a $750 million works programme over five years. However, in August last year, Kāinga Ora signed a contract extending the alliance agreement by a further five years (until December 2028), in a move it said would enable around 6000 new homes and up to $1 billion of work to be delivered for its large scale projects in Auckland. Mark Fraser, Kāinga Ora’s general manager for urban development and delivery, at the time described the contract extension as an important milestone for its work in the city, adding: “We are proud to have the LEAD Alliance as our partner in this transformative change.” But Kāinga Ora has been in the new coalition’s sights following a change of government at last year’s election. Less than a month after taking office, Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced an independent review into the agency, saying ministers had received “further worrying advice” about its financial situation. That review, conducted by former prime minister Sir Bill English and released in May this year, of Kāinga Ora’s performance, saying it was not financially viable at present and there had been limited attention to value for money. The agency’s chief executive and five board members , and Bishop has indicated it will receive no new money to grow its social housing stock as the Government instead turns towards community housing providers. May’s Budget included $435 million in savings from the return of funds earmarked for Kāinga Ora’s large-scale projects. Explaining the cuts, the Government said it would assess the work “to ensure that remaining funding [is] directed towards the highest value-for-money spend, with an emphasis on enabling additional housing supply”. While neither Kāinga Ora nor the Government has issued any press release Fraser confirmed the agency was “ending our contractual arrangement with” the alliance, telling Newsroom: “The alliance delivery model has worked well over the past six years. However, as we continue to look for cost efficiencies across our programmes of work and plan our future urban development work, we have decided the alliance delivery model no longer suits our requirements.” Fraser said the agency was exploring alternative contracting options for the delivery of its infrastructure programmes across large-scale projects. Labour Party housing spokesman Kieran McAnulty told Newsroom the decision to cut short the alliance, coupled with the funding cuts for large-scale projects, was undercutting Kāinga Ora’s important work on social housing. “It all adds up to a trajectory we’ve been signalling for a while – this government doesn’t want to build more houses.” The construction sector had already shed more than 11,000 jobs in the last year, and further losses would come as a result of the alliance contract being torn up, McAnulty said. While the Government had made clear it would favour community housing providers over state housing, it had given them only a fraction of the funding needed to fill the gap that Kāinga Ora would leave. Newsroom attempted to contact all five companies involved in the alliance, but was unable to reach them with offices having closed for the Christmas break. A spokeswoman for Bishop referred Newsroom to Kāinga Ora when asked for comment, labelling the decisions “operational”. Exactly what the decision means for the alliance’s work on large developments in Roskill, Mangere, Northcote and Oranga is unclear. Separately, Kāinga Ora confirmed plans to sell off roughly 300 existing state houses in Auckland. Gareth Stiven, the agency’s general manager for strategy, finance and policy, told Newsroom it was “looking to sell some older, not-fit-for-purpose homes” throughout the city. “This does not mean we are reducing the number of homes we own overall – for each existing Kāinga Ora home sold, a newly built home is delivered elsewhere,” Stiven said. People living in houses that were being considered for sale would be contacted directly by the agency and offered an alternative Kāinga Ora home that met their needs. Speaking to Parliament’s social services and community committee in early December, Kāinga Ora chief executive Matt Crockett said the sales would help the agency fund its renewal and retrofit work, but would not commit to replacing every Auckland house it sold with another in the city. “We’ve got ... multimillion-dollar properties in Remuera and places like that that can be more appropriately sold and those funds redeployed to build three, four, five houses somewhere else,” Crockett said.The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire is designed to be a win-win
None18 quirky British Christmas traditions that probably confuse AmericansNone
As we enter into Christmas week, the holiday season is peaking. And as many gather with family and friends around the Christmas tree, it shouldn’t be forgotten that it truly is a joyous holiday season. Because this time of year is of special importance to many peoples and faiths. From the day the baby Jesus arrived in his unique incarnation as God-made-man, to the menorah that miraculously burned for eight days in the ruined Temple of Jerusalem, to the celebration of family, community and culture that is Kwanzaa. And during occasions that are often diminished by commercialization, it is time to stress the simple joys of the season; the common thread running through December holidays is a focus on togetherness with loved ones and celebrating the joys of life. Because in times often clouded by uncertainty and fear of what might loom ahead, these few weeks in December offer opportunities to appreciate the truly valuable elements in life. Things not found in our paychecks, stock portfolios and television sets, or even under our decorated trees, but in our relationships with each other and in our capacity to love and cherish love. That could be the love of our families, our neighbors, or love expressed through stretching out a helping hand to those less fortunate and reconciling with those whom we have wronged or have wronged us during the year. It is a time to put our petty cares aside and embrace all that is joyous in our lives. And while it may seem an overly romanticized notion of the holidays in a world pocked with injustice, inhumanity and bloodshed, those small acts of kindness that the power of the season, and the true meaning behind it, can bring out in us shouldn’t be left unacted upon. All of the world’s wickedness can be outdone only by the good. While it is especially easy, these days, to ruminate on all that is bad in the world, do take the time to remember and reflect on the fact that there is plenty of good in the world, too. Plenty of good that each and every one of us can do for each other today and tomorrow. So as you gather between now and the new year, remember not your material wants but the reasons we gather in the warmth of our homes and share these times with those we care about most — not for the gifts off our wish lists, but for the love of each other and the gifts that life brings. Merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah and happy holidays to all. A version of this editorial was first published by the short-lived Long Beach Register in 2013
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) celebrated its 57th Youm-e-Tasees at a ceremony held at the PPP Central Secretariat here on Saturday. PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman, Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari and other officials cut a cake to celebrate the Foundation Day of the party. Senator Rehman and Bukhari also unfurled the flag of the party. The event was attended by party leaders, workers, and supporters. PPP to celebrate its foundation day across all districts: Murtaza Speaking to the media during the event, Senator Rehman reaffirmed the party’s steadfast commitment to democracy, justice, and the empowerment of Pakistan’s citizens. She emphasized that the day marked not just the founding of the PPP but the establishment of a historic movement for the restoration of democracy and the protection of citizens’ rights. “On this significant day, we pay tribute to our visionary founder, Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, whose leadership gave a voice to the voiceless and hope to the marginalized. His decision to establish the Pakistan People’s Party on November 30, 1967, was a turning point in our history, and his ideals remain the cornerstone of our political philosophy,” she said. She also honoured the contributions of Benazir Bhutto, who not only carried forward her father’s legacy but strengthened Pakistan’s democratic foundations. She reiterated Benazir Bhutto’s sacrifices for democracy, human rights, and gender equality, noting that her leadership laid the groundwork for lasting initiatives. “The Lady Health Worker Program, which remains the backbone of Pakistan’s healthcare system, and the Benazir Income Support Program, which has provided critical relief to countless vulnerable communities are examples of the transformative impact of her vision,” she stated. Reflecting on the PPP’s achievements, Senator Rehman noted the foundational role played by President Asif Ali Zardari in laying the groundwork for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which continues to drive economic growth and connectivity in the region. She also stressed the pivotal role of the PPP in empowering women, with Benazir Bhutto’s contributions serving as a beacon for gender equality and social progress. She further praised the leadership of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, under whose guidance the PPP has continued to champion the ideals of its founding leaders. “Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has led the party with determination, ensuring that the PPP remains a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change in the face of unprecedented challenges. His leadership is a testament to our ongoing struggle for a peaceful, progressive, and prosperous Pakistan.” Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
